Posted by Gil Martin | Aug 17, 2024 | Analysis, Featured, Green Bay Packers, NFL, Packers History | 0 |
Size matters in the NFL but there has always been room for extremely talented shorter players who can overcome their lack of height. Here is a look at the shortest players in Green Bay Packers history and what they accomplished in a Packers uniform. This article only discusses players who appeared in at least one NFL regular season or playoff game for Green Bay. They had to be 5’7” and under pre-1960 and 5’8” and under post 1960. How many of these players do you remember? All heights are as listed on pro-football-reference.com.
Shortest Players in Packers History: The Early Days, the Shortest Packer Ever
The shortest player in Packers history was Green Bay native Nate Abrams who stood just 5’4” and weighed 145 pounds. He played end on both sides of the ball. While Abrams officially played only one game for the Packers in 1921, he did score a touchdown when he intercepted a pass in the end zone against the Evanston Crimson Giants. The Packers won the game 43-6.
Abrams was a friend of Packers founder Curly Lambeau and according to many sources, helped found the team. He also laid out money to keep the Packers afloat in the early days.
The Early Days, Three Players at 5’6”
In 1922, fullback Gus Gardella played seven games for the Packers and started three. He stood 5’6” and weighed 190 pounds. He did not attend college and spent just one season in Green Bay.
Halfback Marty Norton spent the 1925 season with the Packers after playing two seasons with the Minneapolis Marines. In 10 games with the Pack, Norton scored six touchdowns including one rushing, four receiving and one on an interception return. He stood 5’6” and weighed 178 pounds.
Although Pid Purdy stood only 5’6” and weighed 145 pounds, he played blocking back in the Packers single wing offense. He played for the Packers in 1926 and 1927 and scored one rushing touchdown. Purdy also kicked three field goals and 15 extra points. He is also listed as the lightest player to throw a touchdown pass in NFL history. Purdy also played baseball for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox.
Shortest Players in Packers History: The Early Days, Players at 5’7”
Ray McLean played three games for the Packers in 1921, their first season in the NFL. He played fullback and halfback at 5’7” and 155 pounds. This player is not to be confused with Ray “Scooter” McLean who later coached the Pack. This Ray McLean played at Green Bay West High School and never played college football. His nickname was “Toody.”
Charlie Mathys played five seasons for the Packers from 1922-1926. He primarily played blocking back at 5’7” and 165 pounds. The Green Bay native also kicked and returned punts for the Packers. Mathys played quarterback in the Packers first ever win over the Bears. His last-minute touchdown pass to Vern Lewellen gave the Pack a 14-10 win on September 25, 1925. After he retired, Mathys served on the Packers board of directors. He was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1977.
George Abramson played guard and tackle for the Packers in 1925 despite standing just 5’7” and weighing 198 pounds. In 10 games, he kicked two field goals and two extra points for the Pack. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher was also the first player in NFL history to make a fair catch.
Jack McAuliffe played for the Packers in 1926. The 5’7”, 155-pound halfback played eight games and started four. That was his only season in the NFL.
Shortest Players in Packers History: The 1970s, Players Who Stood 5’8”
Speedster Steve Odom was a wide receiver and return specialist for the Packers from 1974-1979. He stood 5’8” and weighed 173 pounds. The Utah alum led the NFL in kick return average in 1978 and made the Pro Bowl as a return specialist in 1975. During his career with the Packers, Odom scored on a 95-yard pass reception, a 95-yard punt return and a 95-yard kick return.
Odom’s most memorable moment came in 1978 when he returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a score against Seattle. He had promised a hospitalized child he would score a touchdown for him, and he kept his word. The Packers went on to win 45-28.
Halfback Willard Harrell stood 5’8” and weighed 162 pounds. Harrell led the Packers in rushing yards in 1976 and returned a punt 75-yards for a touchdown in 1977. He completed 5-of-10 passes on the halfback option with four of them going for touchdowns to Odom. After leaving the Packers, Harrell played seven more seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals.
1980s Players Who Were 5’8”
The Packers drafted 5’8”, 178-pound kicker Eddie Garcia in 1982. In 1983, he was a kickoff specialist behind Jan Stenerud. He took over as the kicker in 1984 but hit only 3-of-9 field goals before the Pack let him go.
During the 1987 strike, NFL teams desperately looked for replacement players to fill out their rosters. Packers coach Forrest Gregg signed safety David King, who was just 5’8” and 176 pounds. He played in all three replacement games for the Pack before being released.
Defensive back Mickey Sutton stood 5’8” and weighed 165 pounds. He returned punts for the Packers for three games in 1989. He lasted five seasons in the NFL while also playing for the Rams and Bills.
2000s to the Present, Players Who Were 5’8”
Allen Rossum and Antonio Chatman were both return specialists for the Packers and stood 5’8”. Rossum played for the Pack in 2000 and 2001. He returned a kick 92 yards for a score in 2000 while scoring on a 55-yard punt return against Tampa Bay the following season. In his first season with the Pack, he had 1,536 combined return yards.
Chatman played for the Pack between 2003 and 2005. He caught 49 passes his final year with the team in addition to returning kicks and punts. He scored on an 85-yard punt return against the Bears in 2005.
Tavon Austin played four games for the Packers in 2020. He caught four passes and returned three punts in limited action.
Shortest Players in Packers History: Players Who Stood 5’7”
Running back Larry Morris was short at 5’7”, but he weighed 207 pounds. The Syracuse alum played in two strike replacement games for the Packers in 1987. He ran the ball eight times for 18 yards. All of the carries came in the final replacement game against the Eagles.
Wide receiver Aubrey Matthews played for the Pack in 1988 and 1989 despite 5’7” and weighing 165 pounds. He caught 33 passes for 367 and two touchdowns which were both thrown by Don Majkowski.
Running back DuJuan Harris was the Packers last 5’7” player. He played 19 games for the Pack in 2012 and 2014. Harris ran 50 times for 221 yards and ran for a pair of scores. He also averaged 20.7 yards on 22 kick returns for the Pack in 2014. He had a combined 100 yards rushing and receiving and scored a touchdown in the Packers playoff win over the Vikings after the 2012 season. Then he ran for 53 yards and a touchdown the following week in the Packers playoff loss to the 49ers.
The Shortest Players in Packers History: The Shortest Modern Era Packer
No NFL team drafted J.J. Moses but the speedy, 5’6”, 178-pound receiver and return specialist spent four seasons in the NFL. The Packers signed him after he starred for the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe where he led the league in punt returns.
Moses played just two games for the Pack. He returned five punts for just 12 yards and four kickoffs for 69 yards. The Packers won both games he played in.
These players proved that even though football is a big man’s game, there is always room for smaller players who have the skill and determination to succeed in the NFL.
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